NEW YORK — Gum seems as appealing these days as that sticky wad on the bottom of a shoe.

Not that Americans don’t enjoy sticks of Trident and Orbit, the two most popular brands.

They just aren’t crazy about chomping away on the stuff as they once were, with U.S. sales
tumbling 11 percent during the past four years.

The theories for the decline include an unwillingness to shell out $2 or more for a pack in a
bad economy and the idea that advertising veered too far from underlining the cavity-fighting
benefits of gum.

The biggest reason, though, might be that people simply have more to chew on.

From designer mints to fruit chews, candy companies have invented plenty of other ways to get a
sugar fix or battle bad breath and anxiety. The alternatives are also less likely to annoy parents,
co-workers or romantic interests.

“You talk to someone, and they’re just chomping on gum,” said Matt Smith, a 46-year-old who
lives in Albany, N.Y. “If you substitute gum for any other food, like mashed potatoes, would you
find that acceptable? It’s disgusting.”

The habit dates from the ancient Greeks.

Gum arrived in the United States in its modern form in the 1860s, according to Mars Inc., the
No. 1 player in the market with its Wrigley unit.

Through the years, gum-makers positioned it as a way to “Kiss a Little Longer” in a memorable
Big Red jingle, quit smoking, curb cravings or just make the chewer happier.

But gum’s image as a tasteless habit also stuck, with some high-profile gum chewing making it
worse.

In 2003, Britney Spears gave an interview to CNN in which a white piece of gum could be seen
floating around her mouth as she fielded questions on a range of topics, including the war in
Iraq.

Its gum declines, Mars says, have been most significant with people 25 and younger.

Meanwhile, Altoids mints, Welch’s Fruit Snacks and countless other options have taken up space
in the checkout aisles where most gum is purchased.